An Alabama representative is among a bipartisan group of Congress
members calling on the Department of Defense to rethink its plans to furlough civilian
workers.

Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Saks, whose district includes Anniston
Army Depot, is among 126 Republican and Democrat representatives who signed a
letter sent Tuesday to the Pentagon calling on it to examine furlough plans. The lawmakers are also asking for a review of layoffs of temporary workers and the freeze on new civilian hiring.

The Pentagon is currently planning on furloughing the
majority of its 800,000 civilian workers for up to 14 days starting in June and
running through the end of the fiscal year. The furloughs are part of the efforts
to address sequestration cuts that are taking $42 billion from the Department
of Defense this year.

These actions the letter said "are threatening to undermine
mission performance and as a result, mission readiness." The letter was
authored by Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., ranking member of the House Armed
Services Committee, and spearheaded by the American Federation of Government
Employees. AFGE, which represents more than 270,000 DOD civilian employees, sought
signatures from representatives in each of their districts.

The letter said it recognizes the Pentagon is reviewing
specific requests from installations and military branches but questioned the
decision to apply furloughs in the same manner across the department,
regardless if the capabilities not to furlough exist.

"The manner in which the department is imposing furloughs
exacts punishing reductions on components and agencies that downsized their civilian
staffs in fiscal years 2009 and 2010...while appearing to reward departments and
agencies that did not shed workforce. In essence, under the current furlough
guidance, the more streamlined, efficient organizations are footing the bill
for those that are still over strength."

The letter also called on the Pentagon to examine its
existing contracts with the same close eye it is using to determine furloughs.

"We are not taking the position that civilian personnel should
not bear sacrifices because of sequestration," the letter noted. "Rather, we strongly
urge the department to make merit-based versus indiscriminate decisions on
furloughs and firing temporary and term employees and that managers be allowed
the discretion to make offsetting cuts to comply with sequestration."

Rogers, chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on
Strategic Forces, has been a vocal critic of the plan to furlough some 2,800
civilian workers at Anniston Army Depot. The Defense Working Capital Fund,
which covers operations at Anniston, is fully funded for this year with
carryover work into next year, Rogers said, which means the furloughs aren't
necessary. However, during testimony before the House Armed Service Committee,
Pentagon Controller Robert Hale said all the country's depots were experiencing
significant cash shortages, making the furloughs necessary.